Slide loop fastener



Patented Dec. 2, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalt thereon.

This invention relates to an adjustable fastener, and in particular, to the provision of new and improved clamping device for cords or ropes.

Considerable difficulty has been encountered heretofore by using clamps having pivoted cams, wherein the clamping action depended on the rotation of a toothed wheel around eccentrically located axes. Particular difiiculty lies in its lack of dependability of operation when actually used.

It is an object of this invention to provide new and improved fasteners, which will be durable and fool-proof in operation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a slide fastener by means of which a 1001: may be readily adjusted and firmly held to any desired size. This loop may be attached to a variet of articles of which a hooded garment worn by armed forces for protection against rain or poison gas or a mailpouch are but a few examples.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a simple and efficient clamping element which is simple in construction, which needs no machining or expensive finishing operation, is easily assembled, is dependable and iscapable of being manufactured at an extremely low cost.

This device is especially designed for use with a hood for rain or poison gas protection wherein a quick upward pull on the fastener will tighten the hood affording the necessary protection without the time consuming tying or knotting of the rope or cord.

One other object of this invention is to provide a device which can be quickly released so as to quickly open the garment o1 pouch without undue delay.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, which forms a part thereof, and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a device forming one of the embodiments of this invention with parts in section to expose the inner portions of the elements and the ropes.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of one of the two levers forming a part of the fastener shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom end view of the lever shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a left-hand elevational view of the lever shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front view of a fastener embodying a modified form of this invention,

Fig. 6 is a side view of the fastener shown in Fig. 5. I

Fig. 7 shows a front view of the lever used in the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5.

The fastener of this invention uses a flexible cord l6 threaded through it in the manner shown in Fig. -1, so that the loop formed by cord I6 is guided byguard l4 arranged and positioned as shown in Figs. 1, 5, and 6, at the loop-engaging top portion ll of the fastener. Graspingboth cords and'pulling them lengthwise in either direction parallel to the long axis of the fastener will permit the free movement of the ropes. However, when the ropes in the upper portion are pulled at an angle to the long axis of the fastener the free movement of the ropes is arrested by the friction produced by the pressure of the lower portions of the levers on the ropes due to rocking motion of the levers around pivots 4 from the loose position shown in solid lines in Fig. 1 to the tight" position shown by the broken line at 5.

The pull of the ropes I6 at right angles is caused, for example, by the spreading of therope looped around the neck of the wearer of a protective hood, which is to be worn over the head for gas or rain protection when the fastener is simply moved from the loose position to the tight" closed position.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 0: the drawings, the device proper consists of an outer housing member shaped from an elongated piece of sheet metal, such as iron, into a U-shaped form as shown at I. It may be made from two pieces hinged together in the usual manner. This latter construction affords an easier way of inserting the cords into the device. Otherwise the cord is threaded through the device by any well known 45 means such as a shoe-button hook for example.

The U-shaped member is provided with holes to accommodatethe ends of pins 4 so that levers 2 will rock due to the movement of the cords. The pins 4 are held in levers 2 by tight fit or they may be integral with it.

Within the confines of the U-shaped member I there are two narrow solid levers 2 shaped as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4; These are adapted to rock on pivots 4 located at their lower ends in such a way as to cause friction or produce binding of the cord against surface 6 and pin 4 when 3 the upper portions of these levers are pulled apart by the cords.

Levers 2 are grooved at the top 3 for centering the pull of the cord and to prevent twisting.

In operation, the device is pulled lengthwise over th ropes in a direction parallel to the long axis of the buckle until the loop is tightened around the wearers neck,

It will be noted that the upper portions of the ropes are pulled in a direction which is at an angle with respect to the long axis of the fastener so that the levers Z'rocl: on the pivot 4 and tend to spread apart from each other, while the lower portions of these members com closer to each other thus pressing into the ropes and binding them sufiiciently to arrest their movement.

The levers 2 are dimensioned so that they protrude outside of the U-member l in a Wing-like manner when the cords are in'locked position. This is shown in broken line 5 (Fig. 1). The purpose of this construction is to make easier the releaseof the cords by pressing on the levers 2 at 5. This feature is very important when it becomes necessary to release the fastener suddenly without loss of valuable seconds in doing so.

In operation, the cord is threaded through the fastener and is looped around the opening of the article such as the lower part of the hood worn by the armed forces, or around the opening of a mail pouch. A simple upward motion of the device tightens and locks the ropes instantaneously, which is of the utmost importance in case of poison gas attack for example.

. To release the cord from its tightened condition all that is necessar is 'to grasp and press the.

upper portions of the levers 2 at 5 between the thumb and the first forefinger and slide the fastener downward.

Another embodiment of this invention is shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7. This modification differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 in respect to the location' of pivots I, which are in the form of rivets and completely encased in the lower portion of the levers l2 provided with holes 13 therefor as shown in 'Fig. 7. It will be noted that this construction is much simpler and lends to 'mass production much easier than the pins 4, which are tight fitting or integral with the lever 2 as shown in Figures 1 to 4.

The modified design illustrated in Fig. 5 has an additional advantage that it permits the ropes to pass without twisting.

In the modified design, one side of the lever 12 is provided with a flat cam-like surface 8, which is out of alignment with the straight side of the 1ever. This construction produces better gripping action and improves the tendency of both levers to open to the same extent with respect to the center line of the frame. This is due to the flat surfaces 8 compressing the fiat parallel sides of the rope.

In both of the designs illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, the pivots 4 and 1 are positionedclose to each other in order to permit the levers to rock equal distances when tension is applied to the ropes and to produce additional friction against the sides of the rope.

The U-shaped member I is designed with an integral guard 14 to prevent portions of fabric or garment from becoming wedged between the rope as it passes through thefastener and thus foul the action of the fastener, and to guide the opposed end portions of cord H5 at angles divergent to the longitudinal axis of the fastener, as shown in Fig. 1.

The fastener has an elongated pear-shape configuration. It is made wider at the bottom l5 than at the top H in order to prevent the fingers from slipping off the surfaces 5 of the levers, when pulling the fastener downward to release tension on the drawcord.

The flat surface 15 at the bottom of the fastener likewise facilitates pushing the fastener upward for tightening the drawcord..

The same construction of the fastener of this invention may be used for tape as Well as cord or rope.

It is to be understood that the above description is merely illustrative and in nowise limiting and I desire to comprehend within m invention such modifications as are included within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, .in a slide' fastener for operating a closure loop; a housing arranged to slide along opposed end portions of said loop, said housing having a bottom portion and a loop-engaging top portion, a pair of opposed locking mem- -bers arranged in said housing to normally permit passage therebetween of said end portions, opposing face portions of said locking members being positioned to contact opposite sides of said end portions during their passage therebetween, pivot means holding said locking members in pivotal engagement with said housing, a guard positioned in operative relationship-with said top portion of said housing, said guard being provided with opposed guide members arranged to direct said end portions into said housing at angles divergent to the longitudinal axis of said fastener.

2. In combination, in a slide fastener for opcrating a closure loop; a housing arranged to slide along opposed end portions of said loop, said housing having a bottom portion and a loop-engaging top portion, a pair of opposed locking members arranged in said housing to normall permit passage therebetween of said end portions, opposing face portions of said locking members being positioned to contact opposite sides of said end portions during their passage therebetween, pivot means holding said locking members in pivotal engagement with said housing, opposing cam faces positioned on said locking members below said pivot means and below said opposing face portions, said cam faces being so arranged that they will compress said end portions therebetween when in a locked position, a guard positioned in operative relationship with said top portion of said housing, said guard being provided with opposed guide members arranged to direct said end portions into said housing at angles divergent to the longitudinal axis of said fastener.

3. In combination, in a slide fastener for operating a closure loop; a housing arranged to slide along opposed end portions of said loop, said housing having a bottom portion and a loop-engaging top portion, a pair of opposed locking members arranged in said housing to normally permit passage therebetween of said end portions, opposing faceportions of said locking members being positioned to contact opposite sides of said end portions during their passage therebetween, the outside upper edge portions of said locking members being arranged to extend beyond the upper outside edge portions of said housing when in a locked position, pivot means holding said '5 members arranged to direct said end portions into said housing at angles divergent to the longitudinal axis of said fastener.

4. In combination, in a slide fastener for operating a closure loop; a housing arranged to slide along opposed end portions of said loop, said housing having a bottom portion and a loopengaging top portion, a pair of opposed locking members arranged in said housing to normally permit passage therebetween of said end portions, opposing face portions of said locking members being positioned to contact opposite sides of said end portions during their passage therebetween, the outside upper edge portions of said locking members being arranged to extend beyond the upper outside edge portions of said housing when in a locked position, pivot means holding said locking members in pivotal engagement with said housing, opposing cam faces positioned on said locking members below said pivot means and below said opposing face portions, said cam faces ing at angles divergent to the longitudinal axis of said fastener.

ARMAND V. MOTSINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 762,075 Marsh June 7, 1904 1,533,504 Kunz Apr. 14, 1925 2,006,949 Hockensmith July 2, 1935 go 2,176,709 Dym Oct; 17, 1939 2.315.196 Gallione Mar. 30, 1943 

